De-cluttering your Space

Clutter, where does it come from? How does it build up so quick. Just yesterday my mom was saying, "Life is a process of maintenance. We clean and it gets dirty again, we wash clothes, they get dirty, we take a shower, we get dirty." In the simplest words, life is messy, in constant flux, ever changing, and clutter can make this reality more difficult to accept.

I have found that in order to begin to live a less cluttered life it is important to start in your mind by 1) realizing that we may clutter our lives to try to buffer the ever changing fact that life is in constant flux, and stuff can make that reality easier to bear and 2) changing the mentality of “I might fit back into that one day”, or “I may need that one day”, “It has sentimental value”.

The truth to the matter is, by the time you fit in that again it will probably be out of style and if you need that one day, I am sure there is someone you can borrow it from or can go and re-buy.  Holding on to things is like holding on to the past and I have realized as we let go of “things” we make more space for the things that have meaning: like memories, meaningful moments, most of which have nothing to do with stuff.  How does a train ticket from Germany give any meaning to that trip.  The memory of the trip is what has the meaning. 

When we focus more on what matters it makes it easier to let go of clutter and that is how we can keep the practice going throughout the year, change your mind, change your reality.  Next, simply set a strategy to go through one thing a week, whether that is a closet or a drawer.  Get rid of "things" that have no meaning.  Let it go, begin to donate your old stuff to the good will, a friend, or even consign it.  If we are detached it is easier to let go, and once we start to let go, it feels good and frees up more energy to continue through the year!  

It is much easier to stay tidy with less stuff and feeling organized and clean is energizing. The emotional benefits from de-cluttering positively outweigh any clutter and can make you feel free and mentally clear.  The outside can be a reflection of what is on the inside, so look around and start to make the changes that will benefit you in years to come.